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National Graduate Development Programme (NGDP)

The graduate development programme is a unique opportunity for committed graduates to make a positive impact in Brent and gain experience in a dynamic, exciting and socially responsible council.
Applications are now open! The deadline to apply is Wednesday 3 January 2024.

About the programme

The National Graduate Development Programme (NGDP) is a two-year high profile national management trainee programme for high calibre graduates with the potential to become senior managerial leaders in local government within the next ten years.

The graduate development programme is a unique opportunity for committed graduates to make a positive impact in Brent and provide experience in a dynamic, exciting and socially responsible council.

All graduates will attend a structured induction programme and receive on-going support including the allocation of a consistent line manager, host managers for each of their placements and a mentor who will be a director from the Senior Management Team.

You will be working consistently with senior managers and directors across the Council, on a range of key strategic and important operational projects.

Read more about the National Graduate Development Programme.

Placements

Graduates are employed on a 36-hour week contract and complete four placements over the two years, and are required to complete placements in corporate, strategic, operational and front-line service areas.

Placements are decided based on candidates’ preferences and the Council’s business needs. Our programme adopts a council-wide approach with placements available across the whole Council, including with the Chief Executive’s Department.

You will also attend residential events at Warwick University where you will gain a postgraduate ILM (Diploma in Leadership and Management) qualification Level 7.

The salary of each graduate is Scale 6, £30,195 increasing to £31,212 in the second year on the scheme. We go further, Brent Council will guarantee graduates (who complete the NGDP satisfactorily) a further 1 year fixed-term contract where the salary rises to £37,353.

Brent's local scheme

If you have never thought of working for your local borough council before, now is the time. We are offering Brent residents the opportunity to join our graduate scheme. We welcome Brent locals who are passionate about making Brent a better place to live.

Eligibility

Applicants must meet the following essential criteria in order to apply:

  • Obtained at least a 2:2 (or higher) undergraduate degree in any subject by Summer 2023. You can apply for the scheme regardless of when you graduated.
  • Have the right to work in the UK without employer sponsorship.

To be eligible for a place on the Brent Council's local scheme, you must also meet one of the criteria below:

  • Currently a Brent resident and have been for 2 or more years.
  • Former student at a Brent secondary or further education establishment (this includes school, college, PRU).
  • Brent Care leaver
  • Brent Council Employee for more than a year.

Benefits of Brent Council’s local scheme:

  • Support throughout the application process: All local applicants will be given the opportunity to receive support throughout the process from existing Brent graduates.
  • Optional third year: Brent Council will guarantee graduates, who complete the core programme satisfactorily, a further 1 year fixed-term contract.
  • Live and work in a diverse area you are familiar with: The local scheme is a unique opportunity for Brent locals to make a positive impact in their borough and provide experience in a dynamic, exciting and socially responsible council.
  • Exposure to senior leaders: All graduates are assigned a senior mentor who will be a director from the Senior Management Team. Alongside this, graduates will be given the opportunity to have informal lunches with the Chief Executive.
  • Strong support network: All graduates will be provided with an existing graduate as a buddy, regular feedback sessions and 1:1 meetings with the graduate scheme’s placement coordinator. With 16 graduates currently on the programme, peer support will be provided throughout the scheme and beyond.

Alongside the benefits of the graduate scheme, you will be receive support throughout the NGDP application process from existing Brent graduates.

If applicants are unsuccessful after interviewing at Brent Council (Stage 4), they will have the opportunity to be included in the NGDP’s national pool of candidates and where possible, may interview at other councils.

Our graduate stories

What will your story be?

Joining us is a great choice, and there's no better proof than the success of our graduates. Read their stories...

Alexandra

What was your first placement?

I’m Alex, my first placement at Brent was in the transformation team working for the Council’s two privately owned housing companies, i4B and First Wave Housing, which help to meet the housing needs of the borough. I really enjoyed this placement as there were a wide range of things I had the opportunity to get involved in, both within my immediate team and the wider transformation team. My main project was overseeing the process of drafting and approving the 2022-23 Business Plan for both companies. This included writing reports for Cabinet, the companies’ Boards and the Chief Executive. I also had the opportunity to play a main role in the application process of the Key Worker Block owned by i4B. It was lovely to be a part of this project as I was able to interact with residents directly as well as work collaboratively with multiple teams in the Council.  

Why you chose to work at Brent?

Brent appealed to me due to how progressive the organisation is. One thing that stuck out to me in particular was that Brent was trialling participatory budgeting. I thought it was great that the Council was giving a voice directly to local people on what green projects they felt would make a difference in their community. In addition, from reading about other graduates’ experience at the Brent it seemed like a really friendly and supportive workplace. I have found this to be the case since working here and I have been really impressed with the positive working culture which spans throughout all levels of management. This is also evident in the amount of former graduates that have stayed on at Brent. 

What is good about the NGDP scheme?

A big advantage of Brent is that it has been on the scheme for multiple years so it is really well established within the Council. This is great as it means departments all over the Council want a graduate in their team and this provides many development opportunities within placements. I really like how keen Brent is to hear feedback to ensure the scheme is continuously improving and shaped directly by the graduates. On top of this there is widespread support given to graduates. This comes from having a buddy from the cohort above, a senior mentor, the graduate development manager and your placement manager. Lastly, Brent takes large cohorts of graduates (cohort 23 has 8) providing a great amount of support from people going through the same thing as yourself. 

Adam

What was your first placement?

My first placement was in Customer Access, which gave me an insight into why and how residents contact the council. I spent time shadowing the phone team, Customer Services in the Civic Centre, as well as gaining experience in the Revenue and Debt team. All of this provided me with an understanding of the core services that the Council delivers. As Customer Access as a whole are responsible for implementing and distributing welfare support, a lot of my work was focussed around central government grants and funds. The practical implementation of the majority of central government grants fall under Local Authorities, so the placement enhanced my awareness of the relationship between Council’s and central government. As my line manager was the Operational Director of Customer Access, I worked closely with senior management during my placement. This allowed me to be involved in senior work such as writing reports for Cabinet and CMT (Council Management Team). I also attended regular senior management meetings and senior leadership sessions, the latter in which the Chief Executive, Lead Member and Strategic Director would attend. These meetings were a great opportunity to see how senior managers operate within the Council. 

Why you chose to work at Brent?

I chose to work for Brent because they really care for and appreciate their graduates. The culture surrounding graduates is excellent, the Chief Executive is a big advocate of the graduate scheme, and they recruit large cohorts meaning there is a large family of graduates. We always have lunch together and we have the occasional after work drinks. We are always there for one another, meaning there are so many friendly faces in addition to your mentor and graduate buddy.

What is good about the NGDP Scheme?

Brent has also been a part of the NGDP for many years, meaning there are many former graduates still at the council, some of them in senior positions. You’re never far away from a current or former graduate at Brent. On top of all of this, the Civic Centre, where Brent Council is located, is a great place to work. It is one of the most environmentally friendly office spaces in the UK, and it is nearby great amenities such as coffee shops, bakeries and BOXPARK, who offer a whole range of restaurants. The Civic Centre is also easy to get to, located only a short walk from Wembley Park tube station, which is accessible via the Metropolitan and Jubilee lines. 

Helena

What was your first placement?

My name is Helena and my first placement was in the Adult Social Care Department. Initially, I was working in the Adult Social Care Transformation team, where my main priority was to manage a Recruitment & Retention project across the department. The aim was to improve the recruitment and retention offer in the department to make sure there were enough qualified social workers and occupational therapists to maintain service continuity and to offer comprehensive support to service users. I was also supporting a colleague on the Workforce Race Equality Standards, which looks to tackle gaps in the representation of people from the global majority in our workforce. After about a month I moved to the Performance, Insight and Improvement Team, where I carried on with both projects and set up the initial phase of the carer’s offer project looking to refresh the council's strategy on how best to support carers across the borough.

Why you chose to work at Brent?

I chose Brent because it is a council that celebrates the diversity and culture that make it the great borough it is. This was recognised nationally in 2020, when Brent was named London Borough of Culture 2020. Brent is also proactive in improving the lives of its residents, for example, the council's commitment to developing and implementing the Brent Black Community Action plan. Finally, I am a resident of the borough and I wanted to work for a council where I knew I would play an active role in supporting the community I am a part of.

What is good about the NGDP scheme?

There are so many opportunities during the scheme to build on your communication skills, improve your network, work with senior leaders and get a variety of experience across the council. From the very first day, you meet with the Chief Executive of the council and get to ask questions. A senior leader is assigned to be your mentor for the duration of the scheme. You are able to work within four different departments in three different types of role, so you come out of the scheme with a real breadth of experience from back office to strategy to more customer facing roles. There are also opportunities outside of your placement to get involved with corporate wide activities, like assisting on election days and taking part in or organising events held at the brilliant Civic Centre, which sits opposite Wembley Stadium and Wembley Arena.

Emma


What was your first placement?

My name is Emma and my first placement was with the Transformation Team in Adult Social Care. I joined the team for the final six months of a two-year transformation project focussing on the culture and practice of social care services at Brent. It was a great opportunity to work across the different teams and to influence projects with a long-term perspective. I led projects such as an update to the customer contact phone tree and set up the Adult Social Care Innovation Forum. A highlight from the placement was organising and facilitating the all staff Adult Social Care Quarterly, which provided the rare opportunity for staff across the department to come together and discuss important issues such as leadership and personal development.

Why you chose to work at Brent?

There are several reasons why I opted for Brent council. The scheme is highly regarded by senior managers here, meaning that you have access to a wide range of development opportunities and are also entrusted with high profile project work throughout. Every graduate is given a senior mentor, the opportunity to shadow corporate management meetings and also meet with our Chief Executive every six months. Brent is an ambitious council, often at the forefront of innovative local government schemes, and always putting residents at the heart of what it does. Finally, I chose Brent because the council regularly takes on a large cohort of graduates (there are seven of us in cohort 22) which means there is a really strong support network available from day one.

What is good about the NGDP scheme?

Being on the NGDP scheme is a great way to start a career in public service in a role that will challenge you whilst also providing numerous avenues of support and opportunities for development. Having four rotations across the council provides a broad foundation of knowledge across different areas of local government. This is helpful if you know you want to pursue a career that has a positive impact on people and communities, but are unsure at this stage where exactly you can best add value to the organisation. Over the course of the two year NGDP scheme you will also work towards the ILM 7 qualification. One of the most valuable aspects of completing this course is the network of contacts you are able to build up, with colleagues at other councils both regionally and nationally.

George


What was your first placement?

Hi I’m George and my first placement was within the Regeneration and Environment Finance Team. I was responsible for a project looking at how the Council could increase its income from fees and charges for services that it provides – such as sports facilities and development costs. As part of my placement I was also given responsibility to make changes to the Council’s annual fees and charges process that forms part of the budget submitted at the beginning of each new financial year. I really enjoyed the responsibility of working on a project that was so vital to how the Council functions year to year and was a great experience in learning about the financial side of working in a local authority. Due to the placement not having a single directorate’s focus I was able to work with senior colleagues and leaders across the Council which was really great. My highlight of the placement though was the opportunity to put on a workshop with an external provider for service areas to increase their commercial awareness; with the long term aim of maximisation of income generation at the Council.

Why you chose to work at Brent?

It was a really easy choice for me to decide I wanted to work at Brent. The diversity of the borough is something that drew me to the Council, as you get exposure to different cultures and ways of life which is something I really value. The culture at Brent is also really forward looking throughout the organisation and the council’s priorities are aimed at tackling some of the most important issues of our time – the climate emergency and racial inequality to name just two. The opportunity to work and contribute to the organisations response to these issues is great. The fact that Brent invests so much into its graduate scheme – not just by having big cohorts of fellow graduates, but also the support we receive made it stand out as the place I wanted to work.

What is good about the NGDP scheme?

The NGDP is a great scheme because it is centred on you developing into a well-rounded local government official with future leadership potential, the fact you have to do a strategic, frontline and back office placement really ensures that happens. Doing the Level 7 Qualification in Leadership and Management is also a plus because you learn a lot and have another qualification to show for yourself at the end.

Will


What was your first assignment?

Hi, I’m Will and my first placement at Brent has been within the Customer Access team, working to deliver Covid response support to our most vulnerable residents across the borough. In this placement, I took on responsibility for assessing the needs of those who were required to shield as a result of the pandemic. This meant ensuring that Clinically Extremely Vulnerable residents could access the support they required, and in the most extreme circumstances, were supported to get access to food and personal care. I was also involved in building Brent’s Lateral Flow Testing Capacity across 9 test sites borough-wide and the scheme to deliver Free School Meals Vouchers to eligible children during half-term. I’ve been able to engage with external providers like Deloitte and central government departments like the DHSC on testing pilot schemes and the DCMS on the Wembley Stadium test event pilots. This has been an incredibly rewarding experience and offered a great insight into the Council’s pandemic response and values.

Why you chose to work for Brent?

I chose to work for Brent because of the emphasis it places on empowering residents to participate in improving their own communities. Brent places its residents at the heart of everything it does, working with them to improve communities, life chances and reduce inequalities. Brent also values its graduates highly, offering them challenging, high-level projects whilst offering strong support structures. The buddy and mentor systems ensure that you are well supported while engaging in challenging work whilst also offering the opportunity to engage in shadowing of senior managers and Council management meetings.

What’s good about the NGDP scheme?

One of the best things about the NGDP scheme is the incredibly wide variety of projects you can be involved in. The opportunity to undertake 4 placements over your 2 years not only gives you the chance to explore different areas that interest you, but also gives you great exposure to a huge number of people, particularly managers, across the Council. These placements, coupled with the ILM Qualification, ensure that you are constantly developing different skills and gaining experience that will be invaluable for a future career in public service.

How to apply

Brent Council look forward to meeting a new cohort of graduates every year. If you are looking for a dynamic, vibrant and diverse borough then Brent Council is for you. 

If you are applying for the Local Scheme, you must meet at least one of the following criteria below:

  • Currently a Brent resident and have been for two or more years.
  • Former student at a Brent secondary or further education establishment (this includes school, college, PRU)
  • Brent Care leaver
  • Brent Council Employee for more than a year

Applications

Applications are now open! The deadline to apply is Wednesday 3 January 2024.

To apply to Brent, please apply via the Local Recruitment for the NGDP – London Borough of Brent. Please only apply using this link, if you meet the eligibility criteria and want to specifically work for Brent.

If you are interested in applying to the national programme, please visit NGDP application | Local Government Association.

Contact us

Brent Civic Centre, Engineers Way, Wembley HA9 0FJ

Online: Local Government Association website